Ashraful
appeals

OUR BUREAU

Calcutta: Mohammed Ashraful has appealed to reduce the eight-year ban slapped on him by the BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) anti-corruption tribunal for his involvement in match and spot-fixing in the 2013 edition of the tournament.

Shihab Chowdhury, the Dhaka Gladiators managing director, who was banned for 10 years, has also made the plea, sent to retired justice Mohammed Abdur Rashid, the BCB’s disciplinary panel chief.

“My lawyer has sent the appeal papers to the disciplinary committee’s chief,” Ashraful was quoted as saying by cricinfo.com. “I want to return to cricket before my eight-year ban is up. That’s why I have appealed.”

According to the BCB’s anti-corruption code, Ashraful and Shihab have made national level appeals, and if they fail to convince the disciplinary panel chief, they can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

The ICC and BCB, too, will have to send in their appeal by July 22, the last day of filing appeals. The game’s governing body was left “disappointed” by the tribunal’s ruling, saying that compelling evidence of corruption by a number of individuals had not been taken into account properly.